The Long Road Ahead
by Saroku
Summary: Sango is pregnant with Miroku's child. Furthermore, rumor has been spread that Kohaku is somewhere nearby. A she struggles to keep her life in tact, Miroku struggles while trying to help her. Will they ever be the same?


So Happy Together...  
  
Ok, just gotta say...this story is a whole lot more intense than my last one. Nothing BAD happens, get your minds out of the gutters, people! It just isn't exactly what I would call comical. Some parts are intended to be, but if you don't want to hear about what it's like to be pregnant, I'd advise you to stop right here.  
Thanks,  
Saroku  
  
Chapter 1- Sango, En sonte?  
  
"We should tell her." Sango and Miroku were huddled in the corner of Kaede's hut. They lay on their futons while arguing over something of the greatest importance.  
"Well, it's much better her than InuYasha."  
"Uh...I all ready told him."  
"What? What did he say?"  
"He laughed so hard that I kind of pushed him in the well. Accidentally."  
"Did he come back up?"  
"Well yes, but I pushed him down again." Sango rolled her eyes and pressed her hands to her face, looking through her fingers at Kagome. Calm, peaceful, innocent Kagome...what could she say to her? Cautiously, Sango slid her futon towards her friend's. She cleared her throat, then began to speak before she had the chance to stop herself. "Kagome...there's something I have to tell you." Sango said hesitantly, looking down at her feet. Kagome was sitting on a slightly smaller futon than Sango's own, holding Kirara. Miroku got up and stood behind Sango, looking as nervous as she.  
"What is it?" she asked cheerfully, not noticing the fretful looks that Miroku kept throwing at Sango. She stared at Sango's downcast face and suddenly became frightened. "Sango, what is it that you want to tell me?" Sango's face reddened.  
"Well...it's more like what we want to tell you." Miroku grasped Sango's hand and pulled her to her feet, placing his other arm gently around her waist. Sango gave heim her 'don't go any lower' glare and he pretended not to notice.  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Kagome asked, jumping up. Kirara pounced from her lap to her shoulder. Sango took a deep breath and seemed to regain some of her composure.  
"Kagome..." she started. "I...am with child."  
  
It took a moment for this to sink in to Kagome; she then realized that her mouth was more than slightly agape. She shook her head and put such an insane grin that the couple's eyes widened in fear.  
"Sango, I can't believe it!" Kagome ran to her friend and hugged her tightly. Sango giggled and hugged her back. "And Miroku...." Kagome turned to him; he had his arms out, waiting for a hug. Instead, she slapped him.  
"Ow! What was that for?" He asked, befuddled. Kagome shook her finger at him.  
"You'll have a child, and congratulations on that. But you got her pregnant, and so it's your fault!" Kagome took a step towards Miroku, who backed away with his hands held up. "No, silly! I just want to hug you." She patted him happily on the back, then went back to Sango. "So. How long do you have?"  
Sango sighed. Lady Kaede only found out about it about a week ago, as she was tending to me while I was sick. But the symptoms, she said, are those of a pregnant woman. So she checked, and sure enough, I was." She sighed again, more heavily this time. "It seems as though I am all ready in my second month." Kagome's face lit up once again.  
"Sango, I want you to come back to my time again. You can have the baby there, in a hospital. She nodded her head enthusiastically at her friend, who smiled weakly in consent.  
"That would be nice," she said. Then she turned around and vomited violently for a few moments, Miroku rushing out to hold up her hair for her and pat her on the back comfortingly. She straightened back up a moment later, wiping her hand delicately on her mouth. Miroku smiled at her, and she smiled back.  
"Maybe we should go now, so that they can monitor you," Kagome announced quickly, heading into Kaede's hut to grab Sango's clothes (Sango was still in her nightdress.) Kagome walked over to where Kaede kept her herbal remedies and shuffled through the small drawers. "Here we go," she said, walking back over to Sango and handing her some dried leaves. "Put these in some tea, and it should control the vomiting." She put her arm around Sango, and without waiting for protest, marched her to the Bone Eaters' Well, Miroku trailing close behind.  
  
Chapter 2- Back to the Future  
  
"Sis, you're home!" Sota ran to greet his visitors. "InuYasha's been here for a long time! Since last night!"  
"Oh really?" Kagome asked, surprised. "No wonder he didn't come for supper when I called him last night. I wonder why he's here."  
"Couldn't imagine," Sango grumbled, her face red. InuYasha took that time to waltz into the kitchen and plop down on a barstool.  
"Hello, Sango." He said heatedly, acid pouring from his words. Sango wiggled her fingers daintily in response, smiling. InuYasha turned away from her and sulked.  
"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi appeared in the doorway. "You brought friends. Should I make dinner? Sota and I made rice balls." Sango's eyes widened at the mention of food, and she and Miroku dashed out the door. Every one stared after her as they heard sounds of retching. Mrs. Higurashi turned, open-mouthed, to Kagome. Her daughter crossed the kitchen, then whispred something im her ear. Suddenly Mrs. Higurashi's eyes became very wide indeed.  
"Oh!" shouted, her cheeks flushing. "I'll make Kagome's bed up for her. Kagome, you don't mind, do you?" her daughter shook her head, and said,  
"I'll sleep on the couch." She turned around as Miroku led a spluttering Sango back into the house. "Come on, Sango," Kagome said, taking her arm and helping her up the stairs. Miroku ran to catch up with them, not letting Sango out of his sight.  
  
MONTH 2 "Name?" The nurse asked unenthusiastically, tapping his finger on his clipboard. Kagome and Sango exchanged glances.  
"S-Sango Higurashi," Sango murmured as Kagome had instructed earlier, trying not to look guilty. The man wrote it down and beckoned them forward into the obstetrician's office. The nurse closed the door, and Sango and Kagome sat down, looking anxious. Miroku and Mrs. Higurashi stood. A few moments later the door opened and a woman stepped in.  
"Good morning, I'm Dr. Kalajii." She smiled. "I'll be your obstetrician." She was a small-framed woman with her straight dark hair pulled neatly up into a half-ponytail. She prodded Miroku in the chest with her pen. "Are you the one responsible for this?" she pointed at Sango's already gently-protruding abdomen. Miroku gulped, then nodded. The doctor looked him over, then turned to Sango. "Neither of you two could even be twenty." She raised her eyebrows at the couple's troubled manner. "I usually don't do this, but I won't ask too many questions. This is the first time that I've ever seen the father of an unwed teenage mother come to the doctor with the girl, so I guess it's ok...come with me."  
Dr. Kalajii summoned to Sango, who stood and walked towards her. The doctor put her arm around her patient and patted her on the back. "We're gonna be good friends," she said cheerfully. She stopped and turned her head back towards the room. "Daddy, you coming?" Miroku nodded and sprinted to catch up.  
  
MONTH 4  
"Miroku, get her a washcloth," Kagome yelled into the washroom. Miroku tossed one into her. "A WET one, monk!" Even InuYasha was crowded around Sango, doing his best to make her comfortable. "Do you need anything?" he asked gently, trying hard to please Kagome. She looked up at his and smiled, causing his to grin triumphantly. "Which one of these knob do I turn again?" Miroku called. "It's the right one," Kagome shouted back a little too loudly, causing InuYasha to cover his ears while Sango emptied the contents of her stomach onto his lap. "Why do you always do that to ME?" InuYasha stood up, running to the washroom to clean himself off.  
  
MONTH 7  
"Ugh..." Sango moaned, tossing in her sleep. Miroku had insisted on sleeping in Kagome's room, leaning against her wall on the floor. He stared at her now, as she slept fretfully.  
"If only I could bear her pain," Miroku said quietly, his eyes disheartened. "To think...she is put through all of this pain...because of me. I have ruined her." He put his face in his hands and cried. She is so young, he thought. And I have ruined her. He cried for a moment, and then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Sango kneeling beside him. She collapsed into his arms and let him hold her and cry.  
"I'm so sorry, Sango," he sobbed, letting the tears course down his face. "This is all my fault." Sango suddenly jerked away from him (with some difficulty due to how large she had become) and shook her head violently. Miroku saw that she was crying as well.  
"NO!" She said firmly, seizing his face in her hands. "I wanted it too. If I hadn't you know that nothing would have happened but a bruise on your face." Sango smiled, and Miroku watched in complete fascination as her happiness shone through the tears. And that was when he knew that she was glad to be bearing his child.  
  
MONTH 9  
"Miroku, get her bag!" Kagome shrieked, hopping from one foot to the other. "Her contractions are less than five minutes apart—how did we let that happen?" Mrs. Higurashi started the car. "Come on out!" She yelled through the window, honking the horn. Miroku threw the bag at Kagome, who caught it.  
"Got you hat, InuYasha?" Kagome asked, running out the door with her half-demon companion just barely hanging on to her hand.  
"Come on," Miroku said. He lifted Sango from her place on the sofa and carried her hurriedly out the door. "Go, go, go!" he screamed as Sango crumpled against his chest. "Hold on, kids," Mrs. Higurashi said. Miroku lay Sango down in his lap as the car sped from the driveway and skidded along the road.  
  
"Help! We have a woman in labor here!" Mrs. Higurashi burst into the emergency delivery room, pushing people out of the way. Kagome stared at her mother—she had never acted this way before! "Put her here," a nurse wheeled a gurney out in front of Miroku, and he placed Sango on it gently. "Somebody can come back with her." The nurses began to wheel her away, and Miroku glanced at Kagome, who nodded. He followed the gurney.  
"There's no time for a !" Dr. Kalajii bolted towards Sango, waving away the needle that a nurse was about to sick into the girl's back. Her face was pale and worried. "She's got to have it now! Come on, into the room!" She took control of the gurney and pushed it into the room, then turned to Miroku and shoved him in, sending him reeling. "Get her to breathe, I'll be back with help!" She ran, leaving Sango alone to him.  
"Uh..." he darted to her bedside and grabbed her hand. "Breathe, Sango! Breathe breathe breathe!"  
"Shut up shut up shut up!" she screamed back, smacking him in the face. Miroku wasn't phased. He moved back to her side, only to be knocked away by several nurses and Dr. Kalajii.  
"Out of the way!" she shouted as they circled around Sango, the doctor at her feet. Miroku couldn't see exactly what was going on, and quite frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to.  
"Sango, you're doing great, come on, now, just a little longer," Dr. Kalajii kept saying as Miroku watched from his spot upon the floor, where ha had landed when he had been pushed. He heard Sango crying, then suddenly she let out a piercing shriek and the nurses applauded. Miroku stood up and rushed over to Sango. He was conscious long enough to hear the doctor exclaim, "We have a girl!" "Aha," he said. And then he fainted.  
  
Chapter 3- Don't leave me here  
  
"That lousy monk," InuYasha grunted. "He faints as soon as the kid's born, and it was Sango who did all the work. Don't see her complaining." He and Kagome were standing in the doorway of Sango's hospital door, watching Sango hold her infant as Miroku was fanned in the corner in order to regain consciousness. "I have a name," Sango announced, smiling feebly. "I want to name her...Amira. That was my friend's name at the village." She snuggled her face close to her newborn baby's. 


End file.
